


Talk about Stubborn

by lailah



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Cute things, Fluff, Love, M/M, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:00:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23386255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lailah/pseuds/lailah
Summary: Five times Aaron asked Spencer to marry him.One time Hotch said yes!
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid
Comments: 7
Kudos: 227





	Talk about Stubborn

**Author's Note:**

> This tragicness came after I spent ten minutes reading a post about funny engagement stories on Facebook. So enjoy!

**The First Time**

Aaron loved moments like this, the pair of them curled together on the couch. Something mindless playing on the TV, that neither of them were paying much attention too. Spencer was reading a book and Hotch just liked to watch him doing so. He got wrapped into his mind, he loved the younger so much and the last three years together and had been better than he could have ever believed. After Haley, the older man never thought he would find someone to love again. However, he had and it was so completely different to what he had felt for the woman. 

Aaron carded his fingers though the light brown curls and smiled when Spencer hummed in contentment next to him. The man reminded him of a cat sometimes, taking simple pleasure and love from the gentlest and most domestic of touches. 

“Marry me?” Aaron whispered the words and while his mouth had a mind of its own, the words felt right. He wasn’t shocked or embarrassed, he was happy and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this man. Aaron felt Spencer go tense beside him, he heard his mouth open and then close and then open and close again. Clearly he was lost for words and that amused the older man greatly. 

“W-what?” Reid stumbled over the word, turning slightly to look up Aaron, his eyes wide. 

“Marry me? I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want it officially.” It was as simple as that in Hotch’s mind. As easy as 1, 2, 3. Could Reid not see that?

“Aaron -” The hesitance to Spencer’s tone, told him that this was not going to go the way that he expected it would. “I love you, you know I do and I want to spend the rest of my days with you, but marriage? I don’t -” He paused again, clearly looking for the right words for the situation. “I don’t know if that’s something I want.” 

Aaron felt deflated. He couldn’t understand why Spencer didn’t want to make it official especially when he agreed that they would spend their life together from now on. Aaron had always felt content with marriage, he felt secure and right and while he had no intention of leaving Spencer just because he was saying ‘no’, didn’t mean he didn’t feel somewhat hurt that Reid didn’t want to make it official as well.

“What difference does it make though? If we’re not intending to leave or breakup, what does a piece of paper change?” Aaron asked, the simplicity to his tone, making him seem somewhat naive in the innocent moment. 

“Exactly, what difference does it make? Do we need a sheet of paper to say that we’re spending our lives together, or is the trust that we have in one another enough?” Of course the genius would turn his words back around on him, and for a while Aaron was stuck. Unable to find his own answer to a very practical and logical answer to his own question. Damn you Spencer Reid. 

**The Second Time**

This time was a little more wild. The case they had been working on literally blew up in their faces. The precinct that they were working out of, had had a bomb planted in the building and none of them knew about it. The only thing that saved all their lives was that they were bunker-like conference room and no one had suffered much more than a few scrapes and bruises. 

Still, it shook Hotch and once the dust began to settle and he was up and moving, he was looking for his lover. He found Spencer coughing and spluttering against the back wall, covered in dust and looking a little dazed. He hands framed the man’s face and he gave him the once over, looking for anything more serious. One he found nothing, a sigh of relief fell from his lips and he tipped his forehead against the other man’s.

“I was worried.” He gasped, his voice rough from the brick dust. He held onto the younger man and pressed his lips gently against his. Needing the contact, needing the touch that sooth his anxiety before he could continue. 

“I know, I’m fine, don’t worry.” Spencer answered his eyes soft and filled with love as he looked back at Aaron. By this point the rest of the team was coming together surrounding the two men and checking in with each to make sure they were okay. Hotch was listening and he knew his team was safe and well, all in one piece. This was turning out to be a really shitty day. 

“Will you please marry me?” Aaron asked the question again, looking into Reid’s eyes, pleading with him to say yes. He could hear the shocked gasps from around them and all eyes were on them. He saw the look in Reid’s eyes that meant he would be saying no once more. 

“Aaron -” That was a warning, almost final in his tone and Aaron sighed, shaking his head. “You know what I think, my answer hasn’t changed.” Spencer answered. Hotch could hear the sorrow in it, almost like he thought the other man wished he could say yes. 

“Wait hold up -” Morgan’s voice broke the silence. “You’ve already asked him to marry you?” This was going to be a really shitty day. 

**The Third Time**

After explaining Aaron’s first failed attempt at getting his lover to agree to marriage it had become somewhat of a joke between the team. Both men were constantly asked what they thought, had they changed their minds and what, what, what.

“Seriously though, what do you have against marriage?” Reid and Morgan were sitting in one of the SUV’s waiting to follow their suspect. Until, the other man had been silent and Reid was thankful for it. 

“I just don’t see the point in it. Spending thousands of pounds on a venue, clothes, people, food and drink for one day? It doesn’t make any sense to me. I can sit and reel off the statistics for you if you like, I looked them all up the first time Hotch asked me to marry him.” Reid answered with a shrug. He couldn’t understand the big deal everyone was making of this. 

“Yeah, but don’t you want something official?” Morgan asked, his tone of voice making it clear he didn’t understand what Reid was talking about. Out of everyone, Reid kinda thought Morgan would agree with him. Clearly not. 

“No. I know I am going to spend the rest of my life with Hotch, I don’t need a piece of paper telling me so.” That was that in Reid’s mind, Morgan didn’t ask another question. 

Later that evening they had caught the bad guy, had a nice meal in a nice restaurant that Rossi had paid the bill on; and they were now back in the crappy hotel, the FBI had paid the bill on. They were heading back in the early hours of the next morning and so everyone was attempting to get some sleep in before having to get back up again. 

However, it seemed Reid was not in the mood for sleep. Aaron smiled sleepily as he felt the soft kisses against the back of his neck. The sharp bit of teeth and the soothing flick of his tongue. “I knew you shouldn’t have had that second glass of wine.” Aaron teased rolling onto his back, a smile playing at his lips. 

“It was nice wine.” Reid hummed kissing along the other man’s jaw, until their lips met. The kiss was deep and lush, of them taking the time to taste and enjoy each other. Aaron’s heart filled with such love and joy that the words once more tumbled off his tongue. 

“Marry me?” Instead of answering yes or no this time, Reid simply answered with ‘not today’. Progress? Aaron would take it, maybe he could wear the other man down into marrying him. 

**The Fourth Time**

Aaron was stuck in the dullest of board meetings he had been subjected too so far, though it wasn’t so much a board meeting. It was a gathering of everyone in some sort of managerial role. So there were fifty of them crammed into the auditorium. With his phone on his lap and half an ear on what was being said the unit chief fired off a text. 

AH - “Please tell me there is a case?” 

SR - “Nope. Having fun?”

AH - “Depends if your meaning of fun means shooting myself?” 

SR - “Don’t even. It’s your turn to cook dinner!” 

AH - “No fun. By the way I’ve meaning to ask, are you coming to the wedding next year?”

SR - “What wedding? Who is getting married?”

AH - “This super cute couple, I’m sure you’ve met them, couldn’t forget them to be honest.”

SR - “Who are they then???” 

AH - “Oh, also been meaning to ask you something else as well.”

AH - “Marry me? We’ll set the day for next year!”

SR - “You know what, I’ll survive - shoot yourself!”

Aaron laughed a little too loudly down at his phone, though to anyone looking it might seem like he was laughing at his crotch. Still, it was an amusing way to say no. What made him think though, when did it become funny Spencer saying no to marrying him? This was all getting very weird. 

**The Fifth Time**

They were in Vegas, this time a vacation and not after a case. It was just the pair of them, Jack away with Jessica visiting her parents. They were spending the first day with Reid’s Mom and they hadn’t been sitting there for two minutes before she asked her son a question. 

“Spencer, please tell me why you won’t mind this nice man right here?” Spencer looked sharply at Aaron. His eyes narrowed and Hotch at least had the decency to duck his head in response. 

“Mom -” Spencer started, shaking his head and attempting to figure out an answer for her. He couldn’t believe that Hotch had told his mother, this was a new low even for him. Why did he want to get married so badly? “You know I have never believed in the whole marriage thing, people can still spend their whole lives together without the need to get married.” He explained gently, reaching out and taking her hand. 

Reid through his love another glaring look and Aaron knew they would be talking later. 

“Whatever you say Spencer, but I don’t think you really believe that.” 

**When Hotch Says Yes!**

The day went in a spiral downwards. Everything was falling apart and Reid felt like he was crumbling into the ground at the news the man he loved had been taken. He did everything he could, he stared at maps for hours on end attempting to figure something out like a bright idea that would save the man. However, there was nothing new and he couldn’t see it, not anymore. He was exhausted and scared, the fear running like ice through his veins. 

It took two days for them to find their Unit Chief and when they did he was in a bad way. The older man flatlined twice in the ambulance heading to the hospital, both times they had brought him back it took longer and longer each time. Reid felt like he was going to be sick, he didn’t want to watch the man he loved die right in front of him. When the monitor did the long beep, he begged him to come back to stay with him and never leave them again, he promised him everything until the steady beat of heart returned. 

Two days later Aaron finally started to come around, Reid was asleep, his head resting on the hand of Aaron’s he was holding onto with dear life. “Spence?” Aaron’s voice rasped, days without water and his throat felt like he had eaten sand. Spencer woke slowly, like he couldn’t place the sound before his eyes landed on the man and he stared wide eyed. It was almost like he couldn’t believe Aaron was actually awake. 

A single tear ran down the younger man’s cheek and he sprung from the chair, leaning over the dark haired man, to place soft kisses to his lips. “I thought I had lost you.” His voice was thick and his hand fluttered about trying to figure out where he could and could not touch. 

“Water.” Aaron asked for, again hating the feeling that his voice had. Spencer quickly reached for the glass of water with a straw and held it to the man’s lip. Aaron drank greedily and then nodded when he was finished. “What happened?”

Spencer sat himself back down in the chair, feeling the exhaustion hit him once he knew Aaron was awake and was going to be okay. “The unsub took you, held you for just over two days, when we found you, you were in a bad state.” Spencer took a breath, steadying himself before continuing. “You flatlined twice in the ambulance, I really thought I was going to lose you.” 

“I’m okay.” Aaron affirmed taking the other man’s hand in his own and squeezing as hard as he could. 

“I’m going to let the nurse know you’re awake.” The younger man rasped fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill. He rose from the chair and headed to the nurses station letting them know the man was awake before pulling out his phone. 

“JJ, Aaron’s awake, yeah he seems okay.” Spencer rattled off when she answered. He answered a few more questions before asking his own. “I need your help with something.”

It was nearly a week later before the doctor deemed Aaron strong enough for what Spencer had planned. He was going to be in hospital for another couple of weeks at least, but Spencer just couldn’t wait that long. 

“Rossi, where are we going?” Aaron looked back at the older man who was pushing his wheelchair down the hallway. He was still attached to drops and wires so they were coming with him as well. They walked for a while until he saw the door in front of them leading into the chapel. “What’s going on?” Rossi didn’t answer this question either, just chuckled himself. When they reached the door, he rapted once and they opened revealing the small room packed with people he knew. A few of them stood at the front. 

As he was wheeled inside Aaron saw more. He saw Spencer, JJ and his son stood at the front with a priest. Then it dawned on him. A wide smile spread over his cracked lips and wished he could stand from the chair, wished that he could stand at the front with the man he loved and his family. 

As he was pushed down the short aisle he saw the grinning faces of his team, his sister in law and other close friends. They had all come out for this, for them. 

“I always thought you’d be the one in white” Aaron teased, not trusting himself to say much more at the moment. 

“You’re more pure than I am.” Spencer answered equally as teasing in tone. He bent at the waist and cupped Aaron’s face, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. Before the protests rang out around them. Both men laughed and together they stood at the altar, waiting for it to become official. 

They were spending the rest of their lives together. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> As always, please let me know what you think! The good, the bad and the ugly <3


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